This invention relates to an improved corner post used in frame-type, heavy duty, storage or pallet racks and, particularly, posts that may be rapidly assembled with interconnecting braces to form the side walls of such a rack.
Heavy duty storage or pallet racks generally consist of vertical, tubular or hollow, sheet metal posts which are interconnected by horizontal or angled elongated braces and horizontal beams to form a shelf-like frame structure. Pairs of these posts are connected together by both horizontal and angled tubular braces to form the open, side walls of an open frame unit. Two opposite side walls are connected together by horizontal beams to provide shelf-like supports for heavy loads, such as pallets, boxes or the like. Sometimes, shelving is mounted upon the beams for supporting the loads.
An example of a pallet rack is shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,682 issued Aug. 2, 1988 for a "Tubular Rack Beam and Method of Making Same". Other examples of storage or pallet racks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,812 to Skubic et al for a "Pallet Rack", U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,613 issued Mar. 28, 1989 to Hollander for a "Roll-Through Storage Rack, a Girder and a Retaining Plate Therefor"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,026 issued Jan. 31, 1989 to Andersson for a "Device in a Storage Rack"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,067 issued Oct. 18, 1988 to Bellerose for a "Knock-Down Support Structure for Shelving Units and Method of Assembly"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,372 issued Dec. 7, 1971 to MacKenzie for a "Pallet Rack"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,817 issued Jan. 3, 1984 to Monjo-Rufi for a "Shelf Rack" and U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,345 issued July 13, 1971 to Featherman for a "Erectible Metal Shelving".
In the manufacture of such racks, the posts and the interconnecting beams and braces may be inventoried by the manufacturer, as separate parts which are shipped, when required, to the place of use or to distributors who will either assemble the frame unit or, in turn, deliver the parts to the place of use. Then the parts are assembled into the rack. At times, the parts for the frame unit may be assembled by the manufacturer or distributor for reducing the amount of labor needed at the place of final use and assembly. That is, it is conventional to pre-assemble pairs of posts with interconnecting, horizontal and angularly arranged braces to form side walls for the rack. The pre-assembled side walls are then shipped, either directly or through distributors, to the place of use where horizontal beams are assembled to the posts to form the front and rear shelf-like portions of the rack upon which loads are supported.
The assembly of the posts, braces and beams at the site of use requires considerable time and effort and, therefore, is relatively expensive. The partial assembly of the side wall forming posts and braces prior to shipping reduces the amount of labor needed for on-site assembly. However, such pre-assembled side wall units are large and, therefore, are relatively expensive to ship and to store because of the amount of space they require. Thus, it would be desirable to ship the parts in completely knock-down or unassembled condition but to have some means for rapidly assembling them on-site so as to reduce the amount of labor and labor expenses required for field assembly.
The invention herein relates to an improved post construction which permits complete knock-down delivery of the parts to the site of assembly and enables rapid, minimal labor assembly of the parts into the complete rack.